Pope: Christians are called to be witnesses of obedience2017-04-27 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday reflected on the fact that being Christian is not a social status.Speaking during the homily at the Mass in the Casa Santa Marta the Pope said Christians must be witnesses of obedience to God, like Jesus was.

Recalling the reading of the day Pope Francis quoted Peter’s words before the Sanhedrin when he said “You must obey God rather than men."

Peter and the Apostles had been freed from prison by an Angel, and forbidden to teach in Jesus’s name

And yet the high priest said “You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us”.

Pope Francis receives IFCA Congress participants2017-04-27 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received participants in the Congress of the International Forum-Catholic Action on Thursday morning in the Synod Hall at the Vatican.

The Congress is focused on the theme: “Catholic Action in Mission with All and for Everyone”, and is marking the 150th anniversary of the organization’s founding.

The charism of Catholic Action is one of lay-led missionary discipleship: faithful to the Pope, rooted in the local Church, and active in service especially and particularly at the parish level.

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received members of the Papal Foundation on Thursday who are on their annual visit to the Vatican. The Holy Father thanked them for supporting many religious and charitable causes and encouraged them, as a vital part of their "commitment to the work of the Papal Foundation, to pray for the needs of the poor, the conversion of hearts, the spread of the Gospel, and the Church’s growth in holiness and missionary zeal."

Below please find the English translation of the Pope's address to members of the Papal Foundation.

Knights of Malta urged to vote for a temporary leader to replace Festing 26 April 2017 | by Catholic News Service

Leadership wants to orchestrate election of temporary 'lieutenant' for one year to replace former Grand Master

Members of the Knights of Malta about to elect a new permanent leader were asked instead to consider electing a lieutenant who would temporarily take the reins of the order. The request was sent by the order's leadership in an email reported by the National Catholic Reporter today (26 April) and confirmed by the order's press office in Rome.

Electors representing members of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta were to meet as the Council Complete of State beginning on Saturday (29 April) in Rome. According to the order's Constitutional Charter, a lieutenant is elected if the Council Complete of State fails to elect a grand master after the fifth ballot. The election of a grand master, who is elected for life, requires a two-thirds majority.

However, the email recommended that members forgo the election of a grand master and instead elect a lieutenant who would take charge of the order for a one-year period. The knights press office, while confirming the email's content, added that it was meant to be "an internal letter" and not a public statement.

The ousted Grand Master of the Knights of Malta Catholic charity will attend a meeting that could elect his successor, the group said on Wednesday, in a direct defiance of Pope Francis' order for him to stay away.

A spokesperson for the Knights said Matthew Festing, who resigned on Jan. 24, had informed the group that he would come to the meeting this Saturday at its headquarters in Rome.

It was not clear if he would stand for re-election, as some of his supporters have urged him to.

On April 15, Archbishop Angelo Becciu, the Vatican's deputy secretary of state, who the pope named "special delegate" to the ancient chivalric group, ordered Festing not to travel to Rome for the election.

"Your presence would re-open wounds, only recently healed, and would prevent the event taking place in an atmosphere of peace and regained harmony," Becciu said in a letter, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters from a Vatican source.

Becciu said in the letter the pope "shared" his decision and asked Festing to stay away as "an act of obedience".

Apr. 26, 2017 Vatican Reverses Decision, Allows Festing to Take Part in Order of Malta Election

In a volte-face, former Grand Master Fra' Matthew Festing will vote in elections this week which are being spearheaded by the Vatican.

Edward Pentin

The Vatican has reconsidered an earlier instruction forbidding the Order of Malta’s former Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing from attending the election of his successor this week.

According to sources within the order, Fra’ Festing will be coming to Rome to vote in the Saturday election partly because his absence as a professed knight would have invalidated the ballot.

In January, Pope Francis asked the former grand master to resign, saying his plans to investigate and reform the order would be better served were he not leading it. In February, the order announced an election would be held April 29.

-- 2 p.m. (8 a.m.), Arrival at Cairo airport. Official welcoming ceremony at the Heliopolis presidential palace. Courtesy visits with el-Sissi and Sheik el-Tayeb. Speeches by the grand imam and the pope to participants in an international conference on peace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfHlmU7hWEA2017.04.28 - Courtesy visit to the Egyptian President and to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Streamed live 6 hours agoPope Francis in Egypt - Welcome ceremony and Pope Francis' visit to the Egyptian President in the Presidential Palace. Afterwards the Pope visits the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsYGKsPH2682017.04.28 - Meeting with participants of the International Conference on Peace Streamed live 4 hours agoPOPE FRANCIS IN EGYPT - Pope Francis meets participants of the International Conference on Peace, organized by Al-Azhar University

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpViTZQhp0Y2017.04.28 - Meeting with Political and Civil authorities Streamed live 4 hours agoPOPE FRANCIS IN EGYPT - Pope Francis, accompanied by the President of the Republic, meets Egyptian Political and Civil authorities.

Pope says his Cairo visit is about unity and brotherhood2017-04-28 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) Speaking to journalists travelling with him to Egypt, Pope Francis on Friday described his 27-hour visit to Cairo as a journey of unity and brotherhood.

In his brief remarks, the Pope spoke of how this trip to Cairo had a special character because it followed an invitation (to visit Egypt) made by four different people: the Egyptian head of State, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi,

Pope Francis arrives in Cairo on 18th Apostolic Journey2017-04-28 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has arrived in Egypt to begin an Apostolic Journey to the country.

The Pope touched down at Cairo International Airport this Friday afternoon where he was met by the Apostolic Nuncio to Cairo, Bruno Musaro and a representative of the President of Egypt, Abdel-Fattah Al Sisi.

After his arrival in the Egyptian capital the Holy Father travelled by car to the Presidential Palace to pay a courtesy visit on the Head of State which included a welcoming ceremony.

Following a private meeting both President Al Sisi and Pope Francis exchanged gifts. The Holy Father presented the president with a commemorative medal of his visit which depicts the Holy Family fleeing into Egypt by artist Daniela Longo.

Pope Francis: Egypt's unique role in the Middle East2017-04-28 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) In his address to leaders of government and civil institutions in Egypt, Pope Francis focused on the country’s role in seeking solutions to the complex issues that face the Middle East.

Egypt, he said, “has a unique role to play in the Middle East and among those countries seeking solutions to pressing and complex problems that need to be faced now in order to avoid the spread of worse violence” – violence he attributed to diverse factors such as the desire for power, the arms trade, social problems, and religious extremism. He recalled in particular the victims of attacks on Coptic churches in December, and more recently in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria.http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-addresses-egypts-civil-authorities-fuPope Francis addresses Egypt's civil authorities: Full text2017-04-28 Vatican Radio

Pope at Al-Azhar; religious leaders must 'unmask' violence and hatred2017-04-28 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) Religious leaders must denounce violations of human rights and expose attempts to justify violence and hatred in the name of God. That was Pope Francis’ message on Friday at the International Peace Conference taking place at the Al-Azhar conference centre in Cairo. The Pope’s words came at the start of his two day trip to Egypt, following a courtesy visit to President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi.

After listening to an opening address by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheik Ahmad Al-Tayeb, the Pope spoke of Egypt’s “inestimable cultural heritage”, saying such wisdom and open-mindedness is urgently needed today to ensure peace for present and future generations.

Calling for respectful interreligious dialogue, Pope Francis said the only alternative to a culture of civilized encounter is “the incivility of conflict”. Recalling the visit of St Francis to the Sultan in Egypt eight centuries ago, he called for dialogue based on sincerity and the courage to accept differences.

Speaking of the covenant which God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai, the Pope said that religion cannot simply be relegated to the private sphere but, at the same time, religion must not be confused with the political sphere or tempted by worldly powers that seek to exploit it.

Faith and violence are incompatible

At the heart of the law given to Moses, the Pope continued, is the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’. Violence, he stressed, “is the negation of every authentic religious expression” and religious leaders are called to “unmask” violence and selfishness masquerading as sanctity. Together, he insisted, “Let us affirm the incompatibility of violence and faith, belief and hatred”, upholding instead “the sacredness of every human life”.

Catholics and Copts must speak "the common language of charity"2017-04-28 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) In a meeting with Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox leader Pope Tawadros II on Friday, Pope Francis said the two communities must oppose violence and work more closely together to witness to Christ in the world.

Recalling the first encounter of a Catholic and a Coptic pope, Paul VI and Shenouda III in May 1973, following centuries of separation, Pope Francis spoke of the theological progress, but also the realization that “it is no longer possible to take refuge behind the pretext of differing interpretations”.

Shared faith and baptism

Alongside the ecumenism of gestures, words and commitments, he stressed, there is an effective spiritual communion grounded in a shared faith and common baptism. Calling for Orthodox and Catholics to speak “the common language of charity”, Pope Francis urged all Christians to work more closely together to carry their faith to the world.

In particular he praised the Orthodox leader for his efforts to promote good relations through the establishment of a National Council of Christian Churches.

Ecumenism of blood

This deepening of the ecumenical journey, Pope Francis said, is mysteriously sustained by the blood of the many martyrs, from past centuries but also of the present day. Recalling the “innocent blood of defenceless Christians” killed in recent terror attacks, he said “strengthened by this witness, let us strive to oppose violence by preaching and sowing goodness, fostering concord and preserving unity”.

Pope in Egypt: Catholics and Copts recognise shared baptism2017-04-28 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) In a common declaration, signed by Pope Francis and Coptic Pope Tawadros II, Catholics and Copts declare for the first time that they will recognise each other’s sacrament of baptism.

The joint statement was made public following a meeting of the Catholic and Coptic leaders in Cairo on Friday. It comes forty-four years after Pope Paul VI first met with the previous Coptic Pope Shenouda III in May 1973. That encounter marked a milestone in relations, following centuries of separation, and it led to the setting up of a Commission for theological dialogue with the whole family of Oriental Orthodox Churches.

In the new common declaration, Francis and Tawadros recall the progress made since then and call for a deepening of their shared roots in faith through common prayer. In particular the statement calls for a common translation of the Lord’s Prayer and a common date for the celebration of Easter.

Catholics and Copts, it says, can witness together to the shared values of human life, the sacredness of marriage and the family, and respect for creation. The declaration calls for intensified prayers for all Christians who are persecuted and killed for their faith, especially in Egypt and the Middle East.

Most significantly, the statement also resolves an issue which has been a constant source of tension in the dialogue between Copts and Catholics: that of insisting on a second baptism for Christians who convert from one Church to another. Today, the two popes declare, “we will not repeat the baptism that had been administered in either of our Churches for any person who wishes to join the other”.

Pope meets knights of Malta before order’s contested electionJosephine McKenna April 28, 2017RELIGION NEWS SERVICEAlso on Wednesday, Francis met in the Vatican with 15 senior leaders of the order, a move that only heightened conservative suspicions.

“This convocation has rekindled conflicts among the knights, instead of appeasing them,” veteran Vatican journalist Sandro Magister, an Italian who is often sharply critical of Francis, wrote on his blog.

“Many judge it as a mistimed and miscalculated step, an undue form of pressure - exercised by none other than the pope - aimed at influencing the imminent election of Festing’s successor,” Magister wrote.

“While this whole saga was an internal matter that probably should have stayed that way, it metamorphosed into a clash that showed the divide between conservatives and progressives,” Andrea Tornielli, journalist and author of several books on Francis, said Wednesday.

In another twist, the order has confirmed that the new leader would only be temporary.

“The Sovereign Council has recommended the election of a lieutenant of the Grand Master,” a spokesperson said Wednesday. “With the same full powers of a Grand Master the lieutenant would be in charge for only one year to allow for Constitutional reform.”https://www.orderofmalta.int/2017/04/27/council-complete-state-meets-april-29/The Council Complete of State meets April 29Rome, 27/04/2017

Today, 28 April, the Austrian Catholic website Kath.net has published an important report written by a Maltese Knight about a recent audience with Cardinal Raymond Burke in which the (“de facto suspended“) Cardinal Patron revealed much of the background of the current crisis in the Order. Burke, who has not spoken publicly on the matter himself, revealed in this audience information pertinent to tomorrow’s scheduled election of a new Grand Master of the Order Malta — information that some within the order have now apparently leaked in the hopes of forestalling the Order from being led in the wrong direction.

As Kath.net reports, Fra’ Matthew Festing is now in Rome, but has been “coldly received” and he also was told to hand over his own diplomatic passport which had been issued by his order.

Vatican releases itinerary for papal trip to Egypt4.18.2017 3:40 PM ET Here is the pope's schedule as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parenthesesSaturday, April 29 (Cairo, Rome)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn2nr0WeTyw2017.04.29 - Prayer MeetingStreamed live 3 hours agoPOPE FRANCIS IN EGYPT - Pope Francis participates in a Prayer Meeting with Clergy, Men and Women Relilgious and Seminarians during his Apostolic Journey to Egypt

Pope Francis in Cairo: impromptu exchange with young people2017-04-29 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) Friday evening saw an unscripted moment between Pope Francis and a group of some three hundred young people gathered in the small square before the entrance to the Apostolic Nunciature in Cairo, where the Holy Father stayed the night between Friday and Saturday.

After supper, the Holy Father went to greet the young people gathered the square, saying, “Good evening to you all, I'm glad to find you!”

“I know you have come on pilgrimage,” he continued, “is it true? If it is true, it is because you are brave!”

He went on to say, “[Saturday], we will have the Mass in the stadium, all together, and we will pray together and sing together and celebrate together! Before retiring [for the night], I would like to pray with you.”

Then Pope Francis prayed the Our Father with the young people, who recited the prayer in Arabic. “[N]ow,” he said, “I would like to give you the blessing, but before I do, each of you should think about the people about whom you care the most; think also of the people for whom you do not care, and in silence each of you pray for these people: for those whom you love and those you don’t love,” Pope Francis instructed.

Pope Francis at Cairo Mass: live lives ablaze with charity2017-04-29 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis was the principal celebrant and homilist at Mass for Egyptian Catholics in the “Air Defense Stadium” in Cairo on Saturday.

In his homily, focused on the Gospel reading for the 3rd Sunday of Easter, which tells of Our Lord’s going to meet the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the Holy Father said, “The encounter with the Risen Jesus transformed the lives of those two disciples because meeting the Risen One transforms every life, and makes fruitful what is barren.”http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-in-cairo-full-text-of-homily-at-sat-aPope Francis in Cairo: full text of homily at Sat AM Mass2017-04-29 Vatican Radio